Self-regulating incubator.



L. C. REED.

SELF REGULATING IN GUBATOR. APPLIUATION FILED APR.Z5, 1910.

965,837. atented July 26, 1910.

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LYMAN C. REED, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA SELF-REGULATING? INCUBATOE.

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Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented July 26., 1916)..

Application filed April 25, 191i). Sieriel No. 557,540.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN C. REED, a citizen of-the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSelf-Regulating Incubators; and I do hereby declare the following tobe afull, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to incubators and has for its object to provide aheating means for an incubator which will insure against sudden changesof temperature, and therefore, against the chilling or overheating ofthe eggs.

To these ends, the invention consists in the novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter disclosedand particularly pointed out in the Referring to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification in which like numeralsrefer to like parts in all the views: Figure l is a sectional view of anincubator with my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a detaileddiagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the circuits. Fig. 3 is adiagrammatic View illustrating a'modified arrangement of circuits, andFig. 4: is a diagran'nnatic view illustrating a still further modifiedarrangement of circuits.

1 indicates any suitable incubator provided with anysuitable' means 2,for supporting the eggs, 3 a ventilating means, and 4 any suitable lampor signal to indicate when the thermostat has acted.

Located in any desired relation to the eggs is a heating element 5,comprising a IBSISD ance coil 6, which is fed from the mains 7 and 8. Inseries with this resistance coil is a signal lamp 4, as indicated, andthe current entering at the main '4" continuously passes through thecoil 6, the lamp 4;, and time ly returns to the main 8 as by the wire 9.In shunt with the lamp 4:, is a thermostat 10, which normally closescontact at 11 with the adjustable means 12, joined at the wire 9 asshown and thereby'provides a path of much less resistance for itscurrent than does the lamp 4.

The resistance of the coil 6 is so chosen that when the current ispassing through the thermostat, the heat radiated into the egg chamberis sufiicient to hatch the eggs;

and the resistance of the lamp a is so chosen that when the thermostatis out of the circuit the heat from the coil 6 is still sufficient tokeep the eggs from being chilled. It follows from this arrangement ofcircuits that the eggs cannot be chilled so long as the lamp shows thatthe current is passing.

As is well known, it has been heretofore proposed to' control thetemperature in an incubator by employing a thermostat in series with theheating unit, and to depend upon it to cut oil and turn on the currentby making and breaking its usual contact. But it is equally well knownthat the movement of such a thermostat and therefore the air gap itproduces is so small that in spite of the small current employed, thecontacts soon become pitted, thereby causing a poor regulation and thefinal failure of the incubator. By shunting the air gap as abovedisclosed, however, it not only prevents the eggs from being chilled butalso prevents any arcing and therefore any pitting of the thermostaticcontacts. It further follows that since the thermostat does not have to,act so quickly in my circuit as it would should the eggs be in dangerof chilling, that I can increase or compound the movement of thethermostat to. any desired degree and thereby provide for any.refinements of adjustment that may be necessary. Such an arrangement isillustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the thermostat '10 operates the lever 15against the tension of the spring 16, to break the circuit or thecontact 17, while the cur rent continually passes through the coil 6 andthe coil or lamp resistance 19.

Should it be desired to adjust the air gap from the outside or" theincubator, any suitable means such as the screw 20 Fig. 3 may beextended beyond the walls of the incubator l and the contact 21 readilyadjustcd. Further should it be desired to provide against any dangerousor abnormal rise of temperature in the egg chamber, the coil 6 can bereadily automatically cut out of the thermostatic circuit, while thelamp or coil 19 remains in series with said coil 6 as shown for examplein Fig. 3. That is to say, an additional tl'iermostatically controlledcontact 25 may be provided which is located so far from the thermostatthat it can only be closed after the contact 21 is in circuit and aftera dangerous temper are has been reached in the egg chainbm. 5%;connection 26 joins the contact 25 with the main 7 as illustrated, andit is evident that while the lamp or coil 19 continuously receivescurrent through its heating unit 6 upon a dangerous rise 0 after thecontact 21 is closed, short circuit the coil 6, and thereby cause thedangerous temperature to immediately fall, whereupon the contact at 25will be a ain broken.

It is evident that those s illed in the art may vary the details ofconstruction and the arrangement of arts without departing from thespirit of my invention and therefore Ido not wish to be limited to suchfeatures except as may be required by the claims. "'Further it isunderstood that the shunted air gap combined with a signal lamp in anincubator is an important feature of my invention, as is also themultiplied movement of the thermostat, no matter what the circuit maybe. The adjustment of the contacts from the outside, I also considerimportant and said adjustment is also applicable to all the circuits.

It is evident that the heating element 6, as well as the other parts maybe duplicated asdesired inorder to get the best results' What I claimis:

1. In an incubator, the-combination of a chamber; a heating meanscomprising a resistance in said chamber; and a second resistancecomprising a signal lamp in series with said first resistance; a.thermostat in series with said first resistance but in a shunttemperature, yet the contact25 will,-

, chamber; a si circuit with said second resistance; and an adjustablecontact adapted to'be closed by said thermostat whereby the currentthrough said lamp may be varied but not cut off, substantially asdescribed.

2.-In an incubator the combination of an egg chamber; a heatingresistance in said al lamp in series with said resistance; an athermostat provided with a contact adapted to be adjusted from theoutside of said chamber in a shunt circuit with said signal lamp wherebythe current through said lamp may be varied but not cut off,substantially as described.

3. In an incubator the combination of an eggchamber; a heatingresistance in said chamber; a second resistance in series with saidheating resistance; 7 a thermostat in series with said heatingresistance and in a shunt circuit with said second resistance; a contactin said shunt circuit adapted to be closed by saidthermostat when thetemperature insaid chamber is normal; and a contact adapted to be closedby said thermostat when said first contact is closed and saidtemperature is abnormal, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

LYMAN C. REED. Witnesses;

J. M. Couen'r,

FRED ANDERER.

